A personal blog about quilting, sewing and life as a mother. Lots of free tutorials including beginning quilting tutorials, binding tutorials, and other sewing projects like bags, quilt blocks and nursing covers.

Weekend Sewing

Progress on my bright, scrappy blocks. They are big blocks – 12″ each. I used Leigh’s tutorial as my inspiration and just made the blocks bigger. This project is so not high on my priority list right now, but it’s the one I keep wanting to work on!

This was one of those rare and lovely weekends when we didn’t have a national holiday, a birthday, sporting events, sinus surgery, extended family event, house guests, yard work, or any other major commitment. Can I tell you how much I enjoyed it? I should have been cleaning out and organizing my basement, but the fabric scraps that exploded all over my sewing table kept calling my name. (To my credit I did spend 45 minutes dismantling and unclogging the large blockage in my vacuum cleaner, so I should get points for that at least. I’ll spare you the pictures of that ‘creative’ endeavor.)

Saturday was one of those afternoons here where the kids built forts and played “orphans” with the neighbors for hours. (Why do kids love pretending they are orphans?) My sewing space is right off the room where they were playing so I loved feeling like I was close by but able to get a lot of sewing done at the same time. Very rare, but very awesome. I wish every Saturday could be like that! (Especially when I end the day gorging myself on sushi with my husband. Talk about a perfect day.)

I worked on getting caught up on some of my blocks from Jackie’s free online Block of the Month. There are four blocks so far with a new one on Wednesday and next month one from yours truly.

Some of the sewing was even practical: new baby burp clothes for a baby gift, made with the worlds’ easiest burp cloth tutorial.

Finally (one more gratuitous fabric shot) I’ve finally picked a palette for my Swoon-a-long quilt. Which, yes, has not even been started. But this is progress. And let’s face it, probably a long term project. Nevertheless, I’m still enjoying the Swoon-y inspiration going on right now.

I was having a hard time deciding what colors and fabrics to use for this quilt. I swore up and down, no new fabric – it ALL had to come from the stash. Then I went to JoAnn to buy a new rotary cutter during a 50% off sale and happened to walk past the Denyse Schmidt fabric (which also happened to be on sale). I didn’t realize she had a new collection, Daisy Mae. Some really COOL prints and colors – that’s where the greens and the red at the top came from. Seeing those colors totally inspired me for this quilt. The rest are from the stash. Sadly, (or maybe fortunately for me), the fabric quality is not nearly as good on this collection (and yet the price is the same). As a result, I did not buy very much. Unfortunate, since there are some really cool prints.

So anyway, thank you ‘boring’ Saturday afternoon for your generous donation of productive time. I hope you had some weekend time to sew, or play ‘orphans’, or clean out your vacuum cleaner too. This is when I like January.

Haha..this post made me laugh! Of all the years I was a child &amp; all the years I have looked after children for a living, I have never encountered &#39;orphans&#39; pretend play! My sister &amp; I used to pretend we had been kidnapped (so weird, thinking back!) but our parents were still around, trying to get us back! lol

Oh yay! You had such a productive weekend I just got some of that pink hex fabric for the back of a baby quilt top that I finished this weekend. I can&#39;t wait to sandwich and quilt. I&#39;m also wanting to swoon along, but haven&#39;t started yet either. I&#39;m still eyeing everyone&#39;s progress and trying to decide on colors!

I am loving, loving, loving your scrappy blocks. Just my sort of color scheme. I can&#39;t wait to see the finished result. <br /><br />I so wish I was able to get more done than I did. The disappearing Nine Patch blocks for the baby girl quilt got finished and I had hoped to add the border to a One Hundred Good Wishes Quilt but yesterday was spent taking down the holiday decorations (they were

Sounds like the perfect weekend! You made me laugh about your kids playing orphans – I used to love playing stuff like that. I think we need a version of orphans for mothers – where they can pretend they have no responsibilities – wait, maybe that&#39;s what quilt retreats are all about. Love all your pretty fabric shots!

i love your scrappy blocks…they are so pretty. and the stack for your swoon quilt is amazing. i want so much to get on that band wagon….but i have so many other things to finish. maybe i will just make a block for the wall sometime.

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Copyright 2008-2013 Amy Smart/DiaryofaQuilter.com. All photos and content are my own unless otherwise noted. I love when people link to or pin my content, only please cite the original post. Please do not reproduce or publish copies of my patterns and tutorials. Contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you!